Systems and methods for purchasing insurance

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods related to an online website wherein businesses seeking insurance can obtain quotations and be connected to a plurality of insurance providers are described herein. In some embodiments, the businesses are authenticated and verified by providing such details as, e.g., employer identification number (EIN) or tax identification number (TIN), and being registered with the system prior to requesting quotations. In some embodiments, the system has an online collaboration system where a business can ask or post questions and receive answers from insurance providers or agents who match their search criteria.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The embodiments described herein are related to an online website wherebusinesses seeking insurance can obtain quotations and be connected to aplurality of insurance providers.

2. Related Art

In recent years, electronic commerce has become increasingly popularwith consumers. In line with this trend, the ease of accessing andreviewing insurance information online, and the speed of electronicprocessing of data, has attracted consumers to insurance providershaving an online presence.

Some insurance providers have set up electronic sites, such as InternetWeb sites, that enabled consumers to locate agents of the insuranceproviders. Consumers providing address information to an insuranceprovider's Web site would in return receive information identifying theclosest agents of the insurance provider that were qualified for thetype of insurance the consumers were seeking.

As time progressed, insurance providers began providing quotationservices via the Internet. Insurance providers would calculate anestimated cost of insurance based on brief questionnaires provided toconsumers regarding the insurability of the consumers' property orbusiness and the desired insurance. The quoted cost was typicallyaccompanied by an invitation to the consumer to contact the insuranceprovider or one of its agents offline to pursue the insurance coverage.

Recognizing that consumers were increasingly willing to provideinformation needed for insurance coverage via the Internet, especiallyas transmission security improved, insurance providers began providinginsurance application processes online in which consumers were givenuser friendly interfaces that enabled them to provide informationrequired for an insurance application. However, certain deficienciesremain that prevent consumers from completing an insurance applicationprocess entirely online. For example, insurance providers may furtherrequire confirmation of a customer's identification. Additionally, intransactions requiring significant expense, the consumer may requireconfirmation of the agents' identification.

Thus, the embodiments described herein are directed to a method andsystem that address the foregoing needs and deficiencies and providesbetter processing of insurance applications online.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods related to an online website where businessesseeking insurance can obtain quotations and be connected to a pluralityof insurance providers are described herein. In some embodiments, thebusinesses are authenticated and verified by providing such details as,e.g., employer identification number (EIN) or tax identification number(TIN), and being registered with the system prior to requestingquotations. In some embodiments, the system has an online collaborationsystem where a business can ask or post questions and receive answersfrom insurance providers or agents who match their search criteria.

According to one aspect, a system for allowing a business inquire aboutinsurance, comprising: a communication interface; a data storage systemconfigured to store registration information for a plurality of businessand a plurality of agents; a server coupled with the data storage systemand the communication interface, the server configured to: receiveregistration requests from a plurality of agents through thecommunication interface; validate agent license information from one ormore of the agents; receive product information from the one or moreagents having validated license information; receive a registrationrequest from a business through the communication interface; validatetax identification information from the business; allow the business tocreate a request for information defining certain product information;filter the plurality of agents based on the product information eachagent provided and based on the content of the business request forinformation to identify potential agents that meet requirements of thebusiness inquiry; and allow the potential agents and the business topost one or more messages related to inquiring about insurance, respondto posts, and request information on a message board.

According to another aspect, a method for allowing a business inquireabout insurance, comprising: receiving registration requests from aplurality of agents through a communication interface; validating agentlicense information from one or more of the agents; receiving productinformation from the one or more agents having validated licenseinformation; receiving a registration request from a business throughthe communication interface; validating tax identification informationfrom the business; allowing the business to create a request forinformation defining certain product information; filtering theplurality of agents based on the product information each agent providedand based on the content of the business request for information toidentify potential agents that meet requirements of the businessinquiry; and allowing the potential agents and the business to post oneor more messages related to inquiring about insurance, respond to posts,and request information on a message board.

These and other features, aspects, and embodiments are described belowin the section entitled “Detailed Description.”

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, aspects, and embodiments are described in conjunction with theattached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram representation of a collection ofcomputer systems which can interact with each other by a connection inaccordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a high level block diagram representation of the modules orfunctionality which can be implemented by the system 12 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process by which an insuranceprovider or agent becomes a trusted provider in accordance with oneembodiment;

FIGS. 4-9 are exemplary screen shots the insurance provider navigateswhen becoming a trusted provider in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process by which a business userbecomes a trusted user in accordance with one embodiment;

FIGS. 11-16 are exemplary screen shots the business user navigates whenbecoming a trusted user in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the process by which an insuranceprovider or business user logs into an insurance matching website inaccordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a typical computing system that may be employed to implementprocessing functionality in accordance with one embodiment;

FIGS. 19-21 are exemplary screen shots of a message or bulletin board inaccordance with one embodiment; and

FIG. 22 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating the process by which abusiness user obtains a quote from an insurance agent in accordance withone embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

After reading this description, it will become apparent to one skilledin the art how to implement the embodiments described herein as well asvarious alternative embodiments and alternative applications. Thefollowing description sets forth numerous specific details, such asexamples of specific systems, components and methods in order to providea good understanding of the several embodiments disclosed. It will beapparent to one skilled in the art, however, that at least someembodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known components or methods are not described in detailor are presented in simple block diagram format in order to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments. Particularimplementations may vary from these exemplary details and still becontemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the embodimentsdescribed.

Described herein are systems and methods for online insurance quotationsthat allow authenticated businesses to communicate with insuranceproviders or agents who match their search criteria. Additionally, thesystems and methods described herein provide an online collaborationsystem where a business can ask or post questions and receive answersfrom insurance providers or agents.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a block diagram representation of a collection ofcomputer systems which can interact with each other by a connection,such as the Internet, local area networks, wide area networks, virtualprivate networks, and direct connections is shown. A network 100 isshown providing the connection between the devices in FIG. 1. Each ofthe blocks shown in FIG. 1 represents a computer system, such as aserver, a personal computer or other devices capable of communicatingover the connections, or a collection of such devices and are generallyreferred to herein as devices.

In general, block 10 represents a device of a user or member insuranceprovider or agent of the system. The device 10 can be any networkdevice. In general, the device 10 is a machine with the ability tocommunicate with one or more of the computer systems depicted in FIG. 1.For example, in one embodiment, the device 10 is a personal computerwith a network connection such as an Internet connection or a wirelessdevice, such as a mobile telephone or a personal digital assistant, withaccess to a wireless network. Similarly, devices 14 and 16 can be thesame types of devices as device 10. As shown, block 14 represents adevice of a user or member business of the system and block 16represents a device (e.g., a Web server) hosting an insurance matchingwebsite.

An insurance matching website, as used in connection with certainembodiments herein, relies upon a collection of insurance providers andbusiness users for building an online community for shopping andpurchasing various types of business-related insurance. Business-relatedinsurance may include the following types: auto, directors and officers,general, professional, property (e.g., theft, fire), employee benefits(e.g., dental, medical, practice liability, worker's compensation), etc.

In general, the insurance matching service allows both insuranceproviders or agents and business users to create a profile forthemselves. The profiles of the insurance providers and business usersare generally kept private until a match is made based on a number ofcriteria. In some embodiments, once a match is made, it is presented toone or both of the business user and insurance agent in their respectiveaccounts (e.g., dashboards) or emailed directly to them.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, device 16 represents aninsurance matching site for requesting insurance bids and matching withinsurance providers with business users. Device 16 provides (serves) Webpages which can be visited by business users (e.g., members) and others(e.g., guests) to interact with the system as will be described in moredetail below.

According to one aspect, block 12 represents a computer system or devicethat provides the back-end functionality for the insurance matching site16. System 12 is in communication with a database 80. Database 80 allowssystem 12 to store necessary information that system 12 may need toaccess for performing the back-end functionality. Of course, otherconfigurations of computers can also be used.

In one example, system 12 supports an insurance website for matchinginsurance providers or agents with business users. The system 12provides insurance verification and matching services that are Web basedand can include, for example, a variety of ways for users to interact,including allowing a business user to request insurance quotations fromone or more insurance providers and allowing a business user to post orask questions on a message board. In some embodiments, the message boardincludes a public section and a private or semi-private section.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram representation of the modules orfunctionality which can be implemented by the system 12. These modulesmay hereinafter collectively be referred to as “service matchingfunctionality”. In one embodiment, the modules or functionalityimplemented by system 12 includes a login module 32, an administrativemodule 34, a provider matching module 36, a messaging module 38, and acontent module 40. Unless otherwise apparent from the context, theoperations and actions described in connection with FIGS. 3-17 areimplemented by modules 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 of system 12.

When an insurance provider or agent accesses the insurance site 16, heis presented with a default home page. The insurance provider or agentis invited to open an account or register, thereby becoming a trustedinsurance provider. In general, the operations and actions described inconnection with FIGS. 3-7 and 10-14 are implemented by login module 32and administrative module 34.

According to one aspect, login module 32 provides the features and toolsthat allow a user to register for an account and access the account. Asused herein, registration refers to the creation of the account. In oneembodiment, using login module 32, an account administrator controls,restricts, or approves the user for an account. For example, in someembodiments, the administrator may deny access to a user that hasalready had an account and was delinquent with the account.

According to one aspect, administrative module 34 provides the featuresand tools that allow an administrator to manage various types of usersand their access permissions. For example, using administrative module34, the account administrator may limit the viewing access of the user.For example, there may be a plurality of types of users: authenticated(e.g., has created an account), guest (e.g., has not created anaccount), and administrator. In general, the authenticated usersparticipate in the insurance agent-to-business user matching process andmessaging services. In general, guests can see the home page of thewebsite which may be mainly advertising. In some embodiments, guestscannot log in as a “guest” that is not authenticated/registered. Theadministrator can manage the content of the Web sites and also managesthe various users (e.g., can create, edit, and delete user accounts).

Referring now to FIG. 3, an example process by which an insuranceprovider or agent becomes a trusted provider in accordance with oneembodiment is shown. In a first step 110, the insurance agent chooses toinitiate the process. The agent must then create an agent account, asshown in step 120. The agent can create an agent account by providinginformation such as shown in the fields in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 represents an exemplary screen shot 200 of a new accountregistration for an agent. Screen shot 200 includes the following fieldsfor entering the agent's information: First name 210, Last name 220,Company 230, Email 240, and Insurance License #250. Screen shot 200 alsoincludes an Agreement box 260 for agreeing to the terms of service,provided in subpane 270. Screenshot 200 also includes an Entry button280 that the agent selects in order to create the agent account.

Referring back to FIG. 3, a validation step is performed in step 130after the agent has entered the information requested in FIG. 4. Forexample, if a bad email address was entered by the agent, an errormessage is created in step 132 and provided to the agent. FIG. 5 showssuch an exemplary error message 310, which recites “The entered Email isnot valid. Please try again.”

If, in other embodiments, a bad insurance license number was entered bythe agent, an error message is created in step 134 and provided to theagent. The error message may be similar to the one shown in FIG. 5, butrecite language to the effect: “The Insurance License # is not valid.Please try again.”

If, in still other embodiments, the agent fails to check Agreement box260, thereby agreeing to the terms of service, an error message iscreated in step 136 and provided to the agent. The error message may besimilar to the one shown in FIG. 5, but recite language to the effect:“You must agree to the terms of service to create an account. Please tryagain.”

If the system determines in validation step 130 that the agentinformation provided is correct, a create agent account confirmation isprovided to the agent in step 140. A temporary password email with alink is provided to the agent in step 150.

For example, FIG. 6 represents an exemplary screen shot 400 of a newagent account confirmation. For purely exemplary purposes, the screenshot 400 may recite the following: “Thank you for creating a new Agentaccount. An Email has been sent with your temporary password andinstructions to view your account. Note: This email will provide atemporary password plus a link the to Temporary Password page.” Itshould be appreciated that the text of screen shot 400 may vary, withthe intent to inform the agent that an account has been created.

FIG. 7 represents an exemplary screen shot 500 of the emailconfirmation, referred to in FIG. 6. For purely exemplary purposes, thescreen shot 500 may recite the following: “Dear [FirstName, LastName],Thank you for creating an Agent account. Here is a temporary password.Password: [Password] Please visit [URL Link to Temporary_Password] tolog into your account. Thanks, Oferta Customer Service”. It should beappreciated that the text of screen shot 500 may vary, with the intentto inform the agent that an account has been created and that the agentmay use a temporary password to access the account.

Referring back to FIG. 3, once an agent tries to access his accountusing his temporary password in step 160, a validation step is performedin step 170. If the temporary password entered by the agent is notcorrect, an error message is created in step 172 and provided to theagent. The error message may be similar to the one shown in FIG. 5, butrecite language to the effect: “The password is not valid. Please tryagain.”

If the validation step in step 170 determines that the temporarypassword provided is correct, the agent will be directed to the agentdashboard in step 180. An exemplary agent dashboard is provided in FIG.8.

Referring to FIG. 8, a screen shot 600 is shown that provides the agentwith user navigation information, as well as substantive information.For example, listed as part of the Top Navigation 610 is Dashboard 612,My Account 614, and Logout 616. Primary Navigation 620 includes Leads622 and Proposals 624. Dashboard 612 is shown in further detail,including Leads 622 and Proposals 624 on the lower half of screen shot600.

As used herein, a Lead is a request-for-insurance or arequest-for-information (RFI) record that has been submitted by abusiness user and has not yet been accepted by the agent. In someembodiments, agents cannot see the details of the Lead until after ithas been accepted. In general, a Lead will be the result of using a LeadFilter, which may use certain criteria, such as business type, state,minimum number of employees, etc., that the agent may use in determiningthe type of business users he wishes to do business with.

Back in agent user navigation, Secondary Navigation (Leads) 630 includesDashboard 632, Suggested 634, Search 636, Accepted 638 and Returned 640.Secondary Navigation (Proposals) 650 includes Dashboard 652, Preparing654, Submitted 656, Accepted 658, Declined 660 and Canceled 662.

Referring to FIG. 9, a screen shot 700 is provided that shows what anagent's personal account (e.g., My Account 614) can look like. As shown,the agent's personal information is provided in the fields, and theagent has the ability to click on other screens, including Dashboard612, Logout 616, Lead 622 and Proposals 624.

As discussed above, system 12 supports an insurance website for matchinginsurance providers or agents with business users. Therefore, inaddition to agents creating an account, a business user wishing torequest a quote from one or more agents, must also create an account.

Referring now to FIG. 10, an example process by which a business becomesa trusted user in accordance with one embodiment is shown. In a firststep 810, the business user chooses to initiate the process. The usermust then create a business account, as shown in step 820. The user cancreate a business user account by providing information such as shown inthe fields in FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 represents an exemplary screen shot 900 of a new accountregistration for a business user. Screen shot 900 includes the followingfields for entering the business user's information: First name 910,Last name 920, Company 930, Email 940, and Federal Tax ID (EIN) 950.Screen shot 900 also includes an Agreement box 960 for agreeing to theterms of service, provided in subpane 970. Screenshot 900 also includesan Entry button 980 that the user selects in order to create thebusiness user account.

Referring back to FIG. 10, a validation step is performed in step 830after the user has entered the information requested in FIG. 11. Forexample, if a bad email address was entered by the user, an errormessage is created in step 832 and provided to the user. FIG. 12 showssuch an exemplary error message 1010, which recites “The entered Emailis not valid. Please try again.”

If, in other embodiments, the user fails to check Agreement box 960,thereby agreeing to the terms of service, and error message is createdin step 834 and provided to the user. The error message may be similarto the one shown in FIG. 12, but recite language to the effect: “Youmust agree to the terms of service to create an account. Please tryagain.”

If, in still other embodiments, a bad Federal Tax ID (EIN) number wasentered by the user, an error message is created in step 836 andprovided to the user. The error message may be similar to the one shownin FIG. 12, but recite language to the effect: “The entered Federal TaxID (EIN) number is not valid. Please try again.” Additionally, the usermay be provided with a reminder to the effect: “Notes: The federal taxID must be in a ##-####### (or 2 digits plus 7 digits separated by adash)”.

If the validation step in step 830 determines that the business userinformation provided is correct, a create business account confirmationis provided to the user in step 840. A temporary password email with alink is provided to the user in step 850.

For example, FIG. 13 represents an exemplary screen shot 1100 of a newbusiness account confirmation. For purely exemplary purposes, the screenshot 1100 may recite the following: “Thank you for creating a newBusiness account. An Email has been sent with your password andinstructions to view your account. Note: This email will provide atemporary password plus a link the to Temporary Password page.” Itshould be appreciated that the text of screen shot 1100 may vary, withthe intent to inform the user that an account has been created.

FIG. 14 represents an exemplary screen shot 1200 of the emailconfirmation, referred to in FIG. 13. For purely exemplary purposes, thescreen shot 1200 may recite the following: “Dear [FirstName, LastName],Thank you for creating a Business account. Here is a temporary password.Password: [Password] Please visit [URL Link to Temporary_Password] tolog into your account. Thanks, Oferta Customer Service”. It should beappreciated that the text of screen shot 1200 may vary, with the intentto inform the user that an account has been created and that the usermay use a temporary password to access the account.

Referring back to FIG. 10, once a user tries to access his account usinghis temporary password in step 860, a validation step is performed instep 870. If the temporary password entered by the user is not correct,an error message is created in step 872 and provided to the user. Theerror message may be similar to the one shown in FIG. 12, but recitelanguage to the effect: “The password is not valid. Please try again.”

If the validation step in step 870 determines that the temporarypassword provided is correct, the user will be directed to the businessdashboard in step 880. An exemplary business dashboard is provided inFIG. 15.

Referring to FIG. 15, a screen shot 1300 is shown that provides thebusiness with user navigation information, as well as substantiveinformation. For example, listed as part of the Top Navigation 1310 isDashboard 1312, My Account 1314, and Logout 1316. Primary Navigation1320 includes RFI 1322. Dashboard 1312 is shown in further detail on thelower half of screen shot 600.

As used herein, a request-for-insurance or request-for-information (RFI)is a record that has been submitted by a business user with the goal ofreceiving an insurance quote from one or more agents. The RFI is merelya request, that has not been approved by an agent.

Back in business user navigation, Secondary Navigation (RFIs) 630includes Dashboard 1332, Preparing 1334, Submitted 1336, Accepted 1338,Expired 1340 and Canceled 1342.

Referring to FIG. 16, a screen shot 1400 is provided that shows what abusiness's personal account (e.g., My Account 1314) can look like. Asshown, the business' personal information is provided in the fields, andthe business has the ability to click on other screens, includingDashboard 1312, Logout 1316, and RFI 1322.

Referring back to FIG. 2, once a business user logs into his account(e.g., by following the process shown in FIG. 8), the user will haveaccess to request an insurance quotation by submitting an RFI. Ingeneral, the operations and actions described in connection withsubmitting an insurance quotation and being matched up with one or moreinsurance agents are implemented by provider matching module 36.

In some embodiments, the business user is given the option of selectingthe number of agents the business user wants to bid on the submittedRFI. For example, in some embodiments, a minimum limit is pre-set orpredesignated by matching module 36. In other embodiments, the businessuser is able to designate a minimum or maximum number of bidders able torespond to the RFI.

A general login flowchart is shown in FIG. 17 for matching a businesswith an agent according to one embodiment. For example, the process canbegin when a business user or insurance agent initiates the process in afirst step 1410. In the next step 1420, the user or agent attempts tologin. The login is validated at step 1430 or the user or agent canrequest help (e.g., if they forget their password) in step 1422. If thelogin is invalid, the user can be allowed up to 3 invalid passwordentries in step 1450. If there are fewer than 3 invalid passwordentries, a login account error is provided to the user or agent in step1452 and the user or agent begins the login process again in step 1420.If, however, there are more than, e.g., 3 invalid password entries, thepassword is emailed to the user or agent in step 1452. If it isdetermined that the user or agent has a valid account in step 1454, thenthe password confirmation is sent to the user or agent in step 1456. Ifit is determined that the user or agent has an invalid account in step1454, then the user or agent is sent an email password account error instep 1458.

If the login is valid at as determined in step 1430, then it isdetermined if the user is an agent or business user in step 1440. If theuser is an agent, the agent is sent to an agent dashboard in step 1460.Optionally, in some embodiments, the agent's payment profile can bevalidated in step 1445. For example, in one embodiment, validating anagent's payment profile means requiring the agent to register a creditcard on file that validates their contact information is who they saythey are. If the user is a business user, the user is sent to a businessdashboard in step 1470.

According to one aspect, provider matching module 36 provides thefeatures and tools that allow a user to create a request for aninsurance quote in step 2202 as illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 22.In some embodiments, provider matching module 36 provides a user asimple template to fill out in order to start a request for insurance.For example, as described above, a business user may desire to purchaseany number of insurance benefits including theft, fire, group benefits,etc.

In response to the request of step 2202, module 36 can then filter therequest in step 2204 based on various filtering agents (e.g., LeadFilter), and a number of matching insurance agents can be provided tothe business user in step 2206.

The filtering agents can filter the request based on numerous criteriaincluding geography; type of insurance being requested; amount ofinsurance needed; other preferences indicated by the business includingthat the provider be minority-owned, qualify as a small business, bebased in a certain city or geography, etc.; as well as such factors aswhen was the last time an agent received a lead, how many activerequests the agent is handling, the status of the agent with the system,etc.

As discussed above, the business user may be able to designate a minimumor maximum number of bidders able to respond to the RFI. In suchembodiments, the matching module 36 distributes the leads (e.g., RFIs)to the designated number of agents in step 2208, e.g., with a messageinforming the agents that they have a certain time period (e.g., 1 hour)to accept the bid invitation. If the agents decline to accept the bidinvitation or fail to respond, the matching module 36, can in someembodiments, send out more invites in step 2210 to other agents untilthe number of participants selected by the business user has been met.This preselection of the number of agents that are able to respond tothe RFI has the benefit of preventing the business users from being“harassed” by an overwhelming number of agents; essentially by limitingthe number of agents able to respond to an RFI, the business user isable to control the bidding process. Additionally, this preselection ofthe number of agents keeps the competitive landscape marginally orsomewhat restricted so that agents are not continuously failing in thebidding process.

In step 2212, the selected agents can respond to the request. Often, anagent will need more information in order to provide an actual quote.Accordingly, a message board or collaboration area can be providedthrough which the business can share information with the selectedagents in step 2214. At a certain point, the business may need to shareinformation with individual agents separately.

Accordingly, in step 2216, private message boards or collaboration areascan be created on site 16 that link a business with a single agent.Accordingly, in addition to the “public” message board where allselected agents can post and access information, there can also be aplurality of “private” message boards where only one agent can accessand post information in relation to a specific RFI.

Accordingly, in step 2218, some sort of credentialing or validation canoccur in order to establish access to a private message board. Once thebusiness has all the information necessary to make a decision, thebusiness can select an agent in step 2220. The business and selectedagent can then create, or continue to use a private message board tofinalize the process in step 2222. In other words, the selected agentcan get any additional information needed to finalize the offering.

Referring back to FIG. 2, messaging module 38 provides the features andtools that allow a business user to post questions or messages to anonline bulletin-type, messaging board or collaboration area. Forexample, in one embodiment, the messaging board could appear similar tothe dashboards shown in FIGS. 8 and 15. In some embodiments, messagingmodule 38 provides a user a simple template to fill out in order to askor post a question to the messaging board. For example, FIGS. 19-21 showexemplary screen shots of a messaging board in accordance with someembodiments. As is apparent from FIGS. 19-21, the messaging boardportion can be located on the lower region of the user's dashboard.

In some embodiments, the messaging module 38 allows a user to postquestions, such as text messages to a messaging screen or acollaborative workspace. The user, in some embodiments, can download orupload information into the post. As noted, the post can be visible forall insurance agents to see or may be private or semi-private, such thatonly certain insurance agents can see the post or that the insuranceagents appear anonymous. Also, in other embodiments, messaging module 38may support one-to-one messaging (e.g., text or email) or one-to-manymessaging.

Still referring to FIG. 2, content module 40 preferably manages theinformation for items posted on the messaging screen and for items(e.g., RFIs) submitted in the insurance matching/bidding process. Asexplained above, in one embodiment, the user enters the informationnecessary to request an insurance bid, for example, and the contentmodule 40 stores and makes available the insurance bid to the Web site.In some embodiments, the content module 40 is responsible fordetermining when an insurance bid becomes available to insurance agents(e.g., when certain matching criteria have been met).

In some embodiments, content module 40 also manages the informationsubmitted in becoming a registered business user or insurance agent, andin the purchasing of insurance. For example, content module 40 canperform the validation steps in determining if an insurance provider'sInsurance License # is legitimate (e.g., by checking against a database)and if the business user's Federal Tax ID # (EIN) is legitimate (e.g.,by checking against a database). In another example, content module 40may manage the purchasing of insurance between the business user and aninsurance agent by validating the insurance agent's payment profile.

FIG. 18 illustrates a typical computing system 1500 that can be employedto implement processing functionality required, e.g., by the embodimentdescribed herein. For example, computing system 1500 of this type may beused in clients and servers. Those skilled in the relevant art will alsorecognize how to implement the embodiments using other computer systemsor architectures. Computing system 1500 may represent, for example, adesktop, laptop or notebook computer, hand-held computing device (PDA,cell phone, palmtop, and the like), mainframe, server, client, or anyother type of special or general purpose computing device as may bedesirable or appropriate for a given application or environment.Computing system 1500 can include one or more processors, such as aprocessor 1504. Processor 1504 can be implemented using a general orspecial purpose processing engine such as, for example, amicroprocessor, microcontroller or other control logic. In this example,processor 1504 is connected to a bus 1502 or other communication medium.

Computing system 1500 can also include a main memory 1508, such asrandom access memory (RAM) or other dynamic memory, for storinginformation and instructions to be executed by processor 1504. Mainmemory 1508 also may be used for storing temporary variables or otherintermediate information during execution of instructions to be executedby processor 1504. Computing system 1500 may likewise include a readonly memory (“ROM”) or other static storage device coupled to bus 1502for storing static information and instructions for processor 1504.

The computing system 1500 may also include information storage system1510, which may include, for example, a media drive 1512 and a removablestorage interface 1520. The media drive 1512 may include a drive orother mechanism to support fixed or removable storage media, such as ahard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an opticaldisk drive, a CD or DVD drive (R or RW), or other removable or fixedmedia drive. Storage media 1518 may include, for example, a hard disk,floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, CD or DVD, or other fixed orremovable medium that is read by and written to by media drive 1512. Asthese examples illustrate, the storage media 1518 may include acomputer-readable storage medium having stored therein particularcomputer software or data.

In alternative embodiments, information storage devices 1510 may includeother similar components for allowing computer programs or otherinstructions or data to be loaded into computing system 1500. Suchcomponents may include, for example, a removable storage unit 1522 and astorage unit interface 1520, such as a program cartridge and cartridgeinterface, a removable memory (for example, a flash memory or otherremovable memory module) and memory slot, and other removable storageunits 1522 and interfaces 1520 that allow software and data to betransferred from the removable storage unit 1518 to computing system1500.

Computing system 1500 can also include a communications interface 1524.Communications interface 1524 can be used to allow software and data tobe transferred between computing system 1500 and external devices.Examples of communications interface 1524 can include a modem, a networkinterface (such as an Ethernet or other NIC card), a communications port(such as for example, a USB port), a PCMCIA slot and card, and the like.Software and data transferred via communications interface 1524 areprovided via a channel 1528. Some examples of a channel include a phoneline, a cellular phone link, an RF link, a network interface, a local orwide area network, and other communications channels 1528 to performfeatures or functions of embodiments of the invention. Note that thecode may directly cause the processor to perform specified operations,be compiled to do so, and/or be combined with other software, hardware,and/or firmware elements (e.g., libraries for performing standardfunctions) to do so.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notof limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an examplearchitectural or other configuration for the disclosure, which is doneto aid in understanding the features and functionality that can beincluded in the disclosure. The disclosure is not restricted to theillustrated example architectures or configurations, but can beimplemented using a variety of alternative architectures andconfigurations. Additionally, although the disclosure is described abovein terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it shouldbe understood that the various features and functionality described inone or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in theirapplicability to the particular embodiment with which they aredescribed, but instead can be applied, alone or in some combination, toone or more of the other embodiments of the disclosure, whether or notsuch embodiments are described and whether or not such features arepresented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadthand scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of theabove-described exemplary embodiments.

In this document, the term “module” as used herein, refers to software,firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performingthe associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose ofdiscussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules;however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skilled in the art, twoor more modules may be combined to form a single module that performsthe associated functions according to embodiments of the invention.

In this document, the terms “computer program product,”“computer-readable medium,” and the like may be used generally to referto media such as, for example, memory 1508, storage devices 1510, orstorage unit 1522. These and other forms of computer-readable media maybe involved in storing one or more instructions for use by processor1504 to cause the processor 1504 to perform specified operations. Suchinstructions, generally referred to as “computer program code” (whichmay be grouped in the form of computer programs or other groupings),when executed, enable the computing system.

It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above descriptionhas described embodiments of the invention with reference to differentfunctional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that anysuitable distribution of functionality between different functionalunits, processors or domains may be used without detracting from theembodiments described herein. For example, functionality illustrated tobe performed by separate processors or controllers may be performed bythe same processor or controller. Hence, references to specificfunctional units are only to be seen as references to suitable means forproviding the described functionality, rather than indicative of astrict logical or physical structure or organization.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unlessotherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposedto limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” shouldbe read as mean “including, without limitation” or the like; the term“example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item indiscussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectivessuch as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” andterms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the itemdescribed to a given time period or to an item available as of a giventime, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional,normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now orat any time in the future. Likewise, a group of items linked with theconjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and everyone of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be readas “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group ofitems linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiringmutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as“and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although items,elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed inthe singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereofunless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence ofbroadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but notlimited to,” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be readto mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instanceswhere such broadening phrases may be absent.

Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communicationcomponents, may be employed in embodiments of the invention. It will beappreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description hasdescribed embodiments of the invention with reference to differentfunctional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that anysuitable distribution of functionality between different functionalunits, processing logic elements or domains may be used withoutdetracting from the embodiments described herein. For example,functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logicelements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logicelement or controller. Hence, references to specific functional unitsare only to be seen as references to suitable means for providing thedescribed functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical orphysical structure or organization.

Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means,elements or method steps may be implemented by, for example, a singleunit or processing logic element.

What is claimed:
 1. A system for allowing a business inquire aboutinsurance, comprising: a communication interface; a data storage systemconfigured to store registration information for a plurality of businessand a plurality of agents; a server coupled with the data storage systemand the communication interface, the server configured to: receiveregistration requests from a plurality of agents through thecommunication interface; validate agent license information from one ormore of the agents; receive product information from the one or moreagents having validated license information; receive a registrationrequest from a business through the communication interface; validatetax identification information from the business; allow the business tocreate a request for information defining certain product information;filter the plurality of agents based on the product information eachagent provided and based on the content of the business request forinformation to identify potential agents that meet requirements of thebusiness inquiry; and allow the potential agents and the business topost one or more messages related to inquiring about insurance, respondto posts, and request information on a message board.